The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-10-13
THE GENUINE ARTICLE.
Governor Foraker's Special Message on Tax
alton as Taken verbatum from the Senate
Journal, Pages 35s to 1863, of 1885.

Journal, Pages 35g to $685. OF 1850
Erecuttue Department, Office OF the
Govenor, Columbus, o.. April 6, 1885,
To the General AssensblE
The financial condition OF the State
needs attention. 1t is estimated by the
state Auditor that the expenditures Oh
the State up to the first day OF heA.
July will amount to about $soO,oOo' anu
that from that date until the first day OF
next january they win amount to ABOUT
81 800 900, making q total expenditure Oh
s2. 100000 to be provided for out OF tne
general revenue fund. i
TO meet this we had on the first day OIL
Anr;I a cash balance in the treasury OF
.,nlv about s2OgOOO. and it ls estimated by
ths state Auditor that our total revenues
from the taxes to be collected IN June
and ali other sources will amount TO only
.,bnnt 81. 100 600; or, in round numbers
the casual deficiency Of the state VIII
aepre.ats about 81, 100000 on December
81, 1885.
The constitution provides that the
state NAV borrow money for the pnr-
nose of meeting such deficiencies, put
that such Indebtedness shall never e1-
ceed s7b0.OOO.. -
4 IT has become necessary not only 10
uss hut to exhaust this power, and Dill
has accordingly been introduced author
tizing the Commissioners of the SINKING
Ennd to issue and sell certificates OF IN
ldabtedness OF the State in that amount.
lThe necessity for this step is 30 apparent,
t;t In To he hoped the bill will be promptly
,assed. with even this help 1t will be
Unnecessary to anticipate the revenues oil
inaxt wear to the amount of $2bO.OoO.
Hence. Notwithstanding this loan. there
Tia isnneratiye necessity of the strictest
economy.
But YOU sre invited to look further to
lsomething more important.
Our State ID rapidly growing in both
wealth and population; the demands up
on our treasury are correspondingiy m
z creasing. For the next ten years TINS
win probably continue more rapidly than
lneretofore owing to the fact that emf
grafton to the Western States is decreas-
ing in proper tion a. that country fills up
and its lands suhanee in value.
But, while this demand has been in
.reasins. our sources of revenue have
ibeen diminishing. In 1888 the value for
taxation of personal property OF the
, state. as shown by the grand duplicate
was s5ks, ,aO7, ,l2l in 1884 it shrank to $52s
! 2ss. .s7l, and for 1885 dwindled to $5O9, ,9l3
t 9s6. This loss has been made up largely
r oy the steady growth in the valuation o.
real estate ON account of new strneture
Y etc., but the loss was greater than the IN
8 | crease last PEAR, and the result is shown
! in the fact that the grand aggregate o
= all the property OF the State. both rea
t snd personal, amounted in 1885 to bu
It b. B7O07ssss against 81 87s, ,774 ,Osl for 1884
OF loss Of 8 ,694. .2lS
This tudicates1that our wants an
u our inability to meet them ar
travelling in opposite directions. aud tina
q unless th. tax rate or the valuation Q
- property is increased, the casual den
It ciencies will continue and grow large
without power to provide for them, be
:, cause of the extreme Limitation allowe
- by the Constitution having been reache
q under the bill above referred to, PROVE
n. ing for the issue and sale of bonds OF th
a state to the amount of $750,OOO to NEE
is the emergency now upon us.
y. The rate of taxation should not be ii
creased, at least not until other measure
r. tthat seem more just have been tried. III
ae last election indicated q desire of tt
people to
e, TAX THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
e 1t is hoped that this Legislature wi
not adjourn until an efficient measure
that effect has been enacted. Allhous
such tax can be levied only for the pH
le pose of police regulation, yet IL does III
y follow that tthe revenue, when collecte
10 must necessaily be devoted to any parti
o. ular purpose. On the contrary it Is entir
q ily competent to do with it as the Legisl
in ture may see tit; and 1t is thought to
only equitable and just that least 70 p'
,a Icent. OF the revenue so derived shonld
n. to the general revenue fund of the Stat
+ From this source the State would, in sue
n lsyent, reallze probably S5O0OO0, to Il
r. great relief of all the present classes
81 Taxpayers.
FOREIGN CORPORATIONS.
Foreign insurance, telegraph and g.
. press companies doing business in I'll
State are now taxed upon their gross I
on ceipts.
fr Their mo reason why foreign tel
all phone, transportation, car trust, @
,er rquipmsnt aud sleeping and parror @
to companies should mot be similarly take
RS Ir the policy be right in the one class
GASES it should be equally SO in the othei
a aud equity and justice to the State al
i" to the other companies that are 30 tax
ne require an amendment of the laws
uf that effect.
lat The most important matter to which
in il desired to call your attention yet +
en- mains TO be stated.
OUR TAX LAWS.
are In the main. perhaps, as wise as thu
m can be made under our present cons
III tuition. II it were not for Its positi
lor Injunction much might be said in fav
lal tof exempting from, taxation the bon
OK of onr State and municipal government
t. to the end that we might not tax o
'er credit and drive our securities away, b
ms keep them at home and pay the intere
IS upon them to our own people. But th
is impracticable and unnecessary to
ISL d:scussed.
ev- The requirement Of the constitution
es, that all bonds, stocks, Investments. ct
" a. well as real property shall be taxed
~ their full value in money. Our la
LIE have been framed with > view to sect
rar lug this result. but it is manifest to
lift aequainted with our resources that tn
ri nave lamentsbly failed; for all su
know that instead of q grand duplics
,eL Of 81. $40. .O79. 1858 we ought to have one
lev ut least 5000 millions, and 4,000 millie
no would more nearly represent the r.
in. taxable wealth Of the State. To asc
an. tain why, and how. there has been t
are failure to value property as the law
mt quiree,
the THE STATE AUDITOR,
lon as result of conference on the subje
fhe framed and sent out to the county au
tors Of the State certain printed questi'
av- to be answered, calling for informant
DIN as TO the per cent. at which proper